Question 1

Discovery consultation

Accepted Answer

Designing your dream home is exciting, yet it can also feel daunting with so many options and decisions to get right. Don’t worry – Marco and his team of talented in-house designers and estimators are here to help. They will assist you in clarifying your vision and refining your ideas, showing you how to pair innovation with tradition for a timeless design that reflects your personality and enhances your lifestyle. And they will show you how to achieve maximum comfort and energy efficiency for your budget.

To ensure we have a comprehensive understanding of both your site and your unique vision, we start every project with a one-hour meeting. This initial consultation allows us to discuss the scope of your project and learn more about you, your ideas, and your requirements.

Beyond fitting your home to the land and enhancing energy efficiency, Marco also future-proofs your home. This means anticipating how your home will be used over the years and identifying potential maintenance issues. By addressing these factors in the design phase, we help you avoid problems down the line, ensuring your home remains functional and low-maintenance for years to come.

We will also demonstrate how to achieve maximum comfort and energy efficiency within your budget, setting the foundation for a successful and enjoyable building experience.

Question 2

Building contract

Accepted Answer

You are not asked to sign anything until you are 100% confident in the contract and we have completed our due diligence so we can commit to building your house on time and in budget. Once you’re happy with the final fixed price, our team will transform this into a building contract. We’ll use and prepare a Master Builders Association contract and decide upon a commencement date that suits us both.

With your authorisation, Marco’s team will complete all administrative processes to achieve necessary certifications and approvals. Once you’re satisfied with everything, it’s time to approve the contract and get started on construction!

Question 3

Concept design and optimisation

Accepted Answer

When design is focused on in isolation, it can result in a home that doesn’t suit your block of land and budget. That’s why it’s important to work with a builder who sees the full picture.

Our in-house designers will turn your ideas into drawings, creating detailed floor plans and elevations. Throughout this process, Marco will support you with feedback and suggestions from a practical builder’s perspective, ensuring that every aspect of your design is optimized.

The Preliminary Building Agreement (PBA) is job-specific and includes the preparation of architectural drawings suitable for construction, a feature contour survey, a site classification report and a site inspection. If needed, we will include a town planning R-code checklist and a BAL report.

Marco and his team takes the time to ensure your design makes the most of natural light, breezes, views, and the privacy of your land. This careful planning allows you to enjoy year-round comfort and energy savings of up to 90%. You will have the opportunity to make changes to your plan until we provide a design that you are completely happy with.

Beyond fitting your home to the land and enhancing energy efficiency, Marco also future-proofs your home. This means anticipating how your home will be used over the years and identifying potential maintenance issues. By addressing these factors in the design phase, we help you avoid problems down the line, ensuring your home remains functional and low-maintenance for years to come.

Additionally, as an optional service, we offer a lifesize walk-through of your unique custom-designed home before it is built. This immersive experience allows you to visualize your home in detail and make any final adjustments, ensuring your dream home becomes a reality.

Question 4

Specifications and selections

Accepted Answer

To elevate your new home's design, finalising your specifications is essential. Deciding on a complete list of fixtures, finishes, and fittings at this stage allows us to provide you with the most accurate quote possible. This meticulous attention to detail ensures that your home is designed precisely as you envisioned, bringing your dream to life with exactitude and clarity.

Marco and his team will also assist you with your specification and selections, guiding you to get maximum value from your choices.

Question 5

Precise costing with the cost design

Accepted Answer

To ensure your new home meets your expectations without surprises, Marco and his team take the time to include every detail in your contract. This thorough approach allows you to know exactly what you’re getting and how much it will cost. This is what we call Cost Design. Marco personally reviews every aspect of your plan to ensure it delivers the outcome you want in the most efficient, affordable way.

Additionally to the first set of reports of the PBA, now it’s the time to engage an engineering firm to detail all the structural components required to build your house and an energy consultant to do a preliminary energy assessment to maximize the energy efficiency of the building. Once these reports are complete and after gaining a thorough understanding of your design and specifications, we can provide you with an accurate, fixed price to build prior to signing the contract.

At this point, we will make any last-minute changes to suit your budget expectations and eliminate the chance of variation costs during the build, wherever possible. At the end of this stage, we will provide you with a detailed summary of the costs and a timeline of the different activities scheduled during construction.

Question 6

Building permit documentation and approval

Accepted Answer

Our team will finalise the architectural drawings and engage the necessary consultants to produce all the remaining reports required for the building permit. Once we obtain the Certificate of Design Compliance and the Home Indemnity Insurance certificate, we will submit the building permit application to your local council.

Question 7

Construction

Accepted Answer

This is where your dream comes to life. As soon as the council issues the building permit, we can begin working on your project. With full access to our Building Management System, you can follow every step as we bring your home to life. Weekly emails will summarize all activities, and we’ll send photos so you can share progress shots with friends and family. We’ll also organize regular site meetings and walkthroughs to ensure everything is going to plan.

Construction starts with the slab, walls and roof. This all happens quickly because we planned everything in advance during the Cost Design. If you decide on building via timber frame we can manufacture all the structural components in an offsite factory while the slab is curing.

Before you know it, you’ll see your house standing.

Then we’ll move inside for the rough fix out of plumbing and electrical before lining the walls and ceiling. Every task is completed by skilled tradespeople with meticulous attention to detail, especially when it comes to insulation and thermal bridges.

We then install cabinets, cupboards, and appliances before finishing off electrical (lighting and power points) and plumbing (tapware), and lastly, your floor. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call or email – we’ll answer straight away.

Question 8

Handover

Accepted Answer

Before we give you the keys, we meticulously go through your entire house with a fine-tooth comb. If anything fails to meet our exacting standards, we make immediate adjustments. Prior to final completion and project handover, we organize a final walkthrough with you to ensure everything meets your specifications. This is also an opportunity for us to address any defects that may have arisen during the build. Once we’re both satisfied with a job well done, it’s time for the handover – welcome to your new home!

If you are building a Passivhaus, we arrange all independent testing to verify it meets performance standards.

We then proudly introduce you to your spotlessly clean dream home. A comprehensive tour enables you to check every feature and finish, and we’ll explain how everything works. You will also receive a comprehensive Home Operational Manual with all warranties.

Question 9

Ongoing support

Accepted Answer

With every new building project, there is a period when the building likes to settle. Although we strive for a defect-free handover, we offer a 120-day maintenance period to address any minor issues that arise.

To ensure your ongoing satisfaction, we will return in 30, 60 and 90 days to check everything remains perfect and to carry out any fine-tuning before the end of the defect liability period. During this period, you will have access to our trades and suppliers to ensure your home is maintained beyond your expectations.

Our support doesn’t end there. After the defect liability period, we extend our commitment with a seven-year structural warranty, ensuring your ongoing peace of mind and confidence in the quality of your home.

Our team has the skills, systems, and unwavering commitment to bring your dream home to life – on time and within budget

Here’s a summary of our process:

Design

Construction

Get started with step one – it’s free and without obligation

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